Buffalo Bills vs. Baltimore Ravens: Previewing Week 7 Matchup

This coming Sunday, the Buffalo Bills will travel to face the Baltimore Ravens in a week seven contest. Both teams are looking to end losing streaks, as the Ravens blew a lead last week to drop a game against the New England Patriots, while the Bills are still looking for their first win in 2010.

Ray Lewis has already been up to his old tricks of running his mouth, saying that the Bills better watch out, because his team is angry and upset about losing last week. Chan Gailey said he expects nothing less.

Lewis however can usually back up what he says, as he is still performing at a high level. Lewis currently ranks in the top 20 in the NFL for tackles, as he is at number 19 with 45 tackles, many of them the bone crushing variety.

The Bills are coming off of a bye week, so they should be as ready for the Ravens game as they will be for any other contest this year. They had the chance to rest their injured guys for one week, so that will allow them to be healthy for this week. They will need everyone of them, against a physical team like the Ravens.

No Trades Impacted Either Team at the Deadline

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ORCHARD PARK, NY - OCTOBER 21: Willis McGahee #23 of the Baltimore Ravens is tackled by Chris Kelsay #90 of the Buffalo Bills on October 21, 2007 at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, New York. Buffalo won 19-14.(Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty Images)

The NFL trade deadline came and went without either team being involved in any deals this week. The Bills had recently traded Marshawn Lynch to Seattle Seahawks for draft picks, so some wondered if Buddy Nix was going to stockpile more picks by trading off other assets. Nothing ever transpired, so all of the other Bills don't have to worry about being traded away. They just have to worry about keeping their job by performing at a high level, because sub-performers are in danger of being released.

For the Ravens, there was some speculation that ex-Bills running back Willis McGahee was going to be dealt this week, but McGahee will still be wearing a Ravens uniform. I understand that there will be a contingency of Bills female fans that are going to make the trip to serenade McGahee. That is an inside joke to Bills fans, in case that comment does not make sense to the rest of you.

How Do Baltimore and Buffalo Stack Up This Year

This game doesn't feature many players ranked in the top 10 in the NFL, but the ones that are ranked are surprisingly Buffalo Bills, not Baltimore Ravens.

Ryan Fitzpatrick is currently the number four ranked QB passer rating in the NFL at 99.9. Joe Flacko is at number 22, coming in at 80.2. C.J. Spiller is the number one kick off returner in the NFL at 630 yards, while the Ravens' Jalen Parmele is number 24 at 312 yards.

The Bills Steve Johnson and the Ravens Anquan Boldin are tied for 9th place in the NFL with four TD receptions each. The Ravens running back Ray Rice is number 11 in the league with 451 rushing yards, while the Bills do not have anyone in the top 40. The Ravens have two top 40 receivers, as Boldin as 426 yards on the year, while Derrick Mason has 309 yards. The Bills do not have a top 40 receiver.

From a team perspective, the edge goes to Baltimore. The Ravens are number 12 in offense, averaging 336 yards per game, while the Bills are number 30 with 251 yards a game. The Ravens are tied for 17th in sacks with 11, while the Bills are tied for 29th with just six sacks.

The Ravens passing attack is number 13 in the league with 225 yards per game, while the Bills are 31st with 145 yards per game. The Bills are right behind the Ravens in rushing, as the Ravens average 111 yards a game, while Buffalo is at 106 yards a game.

Finally, the Ravens are 7th in the NFL by converting a high 43 % of their third down conversions, while the Bills are  only converting 26 % of their third downs, good for 31st in the NFL. On paper and in the trenches, the Ravens figure to have the better of this contest.

Health, Injuries and Star Players

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ORCHARD PARK, NY - OCTOBER 21: Lee Evans #83 of the Buffalo Bills runs past Dawan Landry #26 of the Baltimore Ravens on a 54 yard pass reception on October 21, 2007 at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, New York. Buffalo won 19-14. (Photo by Rick S

The Bills offense will be led by Ryan Fitzpatrick, throwing to Lee Evans, Roscoe Parrish, David Nelson and Steve Johnson. The running back duo of Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller are hoping to see a combined 25 carries this week, as Buffalo needs to make a more concerted effort to the running game.

This contest also serves as the season debut for tight end Shawn Nelson. Nelson will attempt to prove that there is a tight end on the roster, as the position has been more or less ignored so far this year. This week marks for the return of Keith Ellison and Bryan Scott. No word yet if Terrence McGee is ready to return to action or not.

For the Ravens, they feature quarterback Joe Flacco throwing to a talented corps of receivers in Anquan Boldin, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Derrick Mason and tight end Todd Heap. Then you have the duo of Ray Rice and Willis McGahee running the ball. Heap is apparently healthy enough to play, as he did not sustain a concussion from the violent hit he took last Sunday from Patriots safety Brandon Meriwweather. That means that Heap will probably have a field day against the Bills defense.

The Ravens are welcoming back safety Ed Reed, who is making his season debut. This is a major upgrade for the Ravens defense, as Reed is one of the very best.

What Good Did the Bye Week Do for the Bills?

This is a picture of the Bills linebacker Reggie Torbor flying at the Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez. Torbor held a players-only meeting during the bye week to address some issues. The team is tired of losing and not seeing anything in the win column to show for their hard work.

The Bills used the bye week to get some people healthy, to install some new plays on offense and to do some major fine tuning on the defense. There were no coaches fired or players released since the embarrassing loss to Jacksonville in week five, so we will see how the Ravens game turns out and what actions are taken after that, if any.

You have to figure that C.J. Spiller's role will continue to expand as the season goes along. It will also be interesting to see how much chemistry Ryan Fitzpatrick has with tight end Shawn Nelson so far. It will also be interesting to see how the Bills offensive line tries to hold off the Ravens pass rush, as their front seven are a talented bunch.

The Bills will look to try to come up with more consistent yardage on first and second downs, to keep their third down opportunities more manageable. There in lies the rub.

Can the Defense Show Any Improvement After the Break?

The biggest issue for this week for Bills fans will be to see how much the defense has managed to learn over the break, and how many of their problems have been corrected. Coming in to this contest, the Bills are looking to break a dubious streak, having allowed thirty points or more in four straight games, the first time this happened in the 51 years of Bills team history.

Granted, the Ravens have some weapons, but they are not the top NFL offense. If the Ravens manage to score thirty points or more, it could be a reflection on the Bills defense, and how much time the Bills offense helped to undermine their efforts by failing to convert enough third down opportunities.

A thirty point effort following the bye might be the final straw for Chan Gailey to take, which to my way of thinking could lead the Bills to making a major change on the defensive side of the ball. That would be to give defensive coordinator George Edwards his walking papers, and promote somebody from the current staff. Mike Singletary won last week, so the 49ers coach figures to have his job for at least Halloween.

Two weeks to correct mistakes should be sufficient. In addition, all of the Bills starters are back except for Terrence McGee, and McGee is still a possibility. If two more weeks of teaching can't fix the major holes, it would be obvious that there are some communication and teaching issues going on with George Edwards. It is pretty much a cut and dried issue. Either you can teach or you can't. Sure, there are not any major stars to work with, but there is some talent on the Bills defense to work with.

Cornell Green Is Out and Cordaro Howard Is In at Right Tackle

Cornell Green sustained an injury in the Jacksonville game and could be missing anywhere from the next two to three games. The Bills have announced that rookie Cordaro Howard will be starting the game, and will probably be rotated in to help him against the Ravens defensive line.

Demetrius Bell and Eric Wood have been getting some relief during games, so with Howard sliding over to right tackle it will be interesting to see who else the Bills feel comfortable in using in the Ravens game to back up the starters.

Another topic to address is Aaron Maybin. Maybin played for only two snaps against the Jaguars. If that level of action, or rather that level of inaction continues, one has to wonder if the Bills will show Maybin the door. If you can release players like James Hardy and Trent Edwards, can Maybin be that far behind them out the door?

Will be watching to see if he was able to progress since the Jaguars game to earn more playing time.

Possible Trap Game and Ray Lewis Gives Up Bulletin Board Material

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FOXBORO, MA - OCTOBER 17: Ray Lewis #52 of the Baltimore Ravens reacts before a game with the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on October 17, 2010 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

The Bills didn't figure to need much motivation, as they sit at the bottom of the NFL standings. Only Carolina and the Bills are the two teams without a win so far in 2010. The players only meeting will serve as a wake up call, and the warning from Ray Lewis, shall serve as a shot in the arm, as if the Bills needed to get up any higher.

With the Ravens looking forward to a bye week after the Bills game, is it possible that the Bills will catch Baltimore looking past them, since all over the NFL the experts are calling this game a cakewalk for the Ravens. It is not out of the realm of possibilities, but the Bills will have to show a greater sense of urgency in trying to generate pass rush and trying to create more turnovers then they have exhibited so far year to date.

The Bills will need to stay close, try to control the clock like they did against the Packers, by running the ball. Hopefully the Bills will commit to at least 25 rushes in the contest, and allow Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller to establish some rhythm.